1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the attachment of information to objects, and, in particular, to the attachment of medical information to objects used in testing of specimens, and, in greater particularity, to a device and method of attaching medical information to glass surfaces such glass slides during the processing of these slides.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of medical diagnostic testing, it is critically important to ensure that testing results are matched with the correct patient; otherwise, in the worst case, patients may die, and providers of services could be and are faced with substantial damage claims and awards.
This is not usually a problem when an x-ray or MRI or other testing is done, where the patient's information may be permanently printed directly onto the x-ray sheet by the testing machine, for example, as the testing is being prepared for or done or thereafter. The potential for error here is minimal, since only one patient is typically being tested at a time, and the operator/technician of the machine is either in the room or in an adjacent room where viewing of the patient is possible. The patients are normally scheduled in advance and the patients typically wear hospital provided identification bracelets for ease of verification at the point of testing. Further, the patient is able to view his/her own testing results, i.e., by examining the x-ray sheet. This clearly does not prevent incorrect evaluations.
The problem of matching the patient information to a particular specimen slide becomes much more of an issue in a diagnostic testing laboratory where hundreds, if not thousands, of slides are processed daily. In such an environment, there are many distractions such as, for example, background noise, talking, and cell phones ringing. Additionally, errors may result from operator skill level limitations, workstation clutter, etc.
It is thus important to be able to provide a human and machine readable identification exactly at the point the specimen is being attached to the slide. It is further desirable to have a machine that provides this ability situated directly at the workstation of the technician. It is further necessary to have a device capable of applying patient information to the slide in a manner that is durable and not distorted by chemical and/or mechanical processing involved in modern clinical diagnostic laboratories. This device should not interfere ergonomically with other equipment at the workstation or audibly/visually interfere with the technician's environment.
Presently, there are devices and methods for marking slides which do not include the beneficial features of the present invention; namely, printed labels that are applied to the slides by hand or machine, ink jet printers that apply printed information onto the slide with special ink, laser marking of the slide, and diamond scribing of the slide. These machines are typically large, heavy, complex, and expensive. Laboratories using these techniques use a “batch-mode” where the slides are marked and then later matched up with their appropriate specimens. A further disadvantage is the cost of operating these machines, especially the labeling and ink jet machines. Some of the current machines are the Leica IPS Ink Jet Slide printer, the Thermo Scientific Shandon Laser MicroWriter, the Thermo Scientific Shandon Microwriter, and the General Data StainerShield Slide Labeler Printer Applicator.
There are known systems, devices and processes, for placing patient information on slides. For instance, one such system provides a workstation for examining previously marked slides fed from a carousel. Information regarding the examination is placed on the printing area of the slide by means of an ink jet printer. There is no ability therein to verify that the initial slide information is correct. Another system provides a storage device having a plurality of slides which are fed out onto a belt where there is a printing station using an ink jet printer. A special ink composition is used, further increasing the cost. Another method employs the use of a laser beam to etch or burn away a coating on the slide to produce a bar code pattern for example. This process produces dust byproduct, as well as a potentially hazardous laser beam.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a printing device using an economical method that very accurately matches and places patient information on patient specimen slides, which provides these features with a maximum of flexibility for use in a diagnostic laboratory.